aud, who commanded, being among
the slain, and General Lazeley being carried off wounded.

The din of battle at the main scene of conflict was heightened by the
babel of shouts and screams that rose throughout the town. No word
whatever of the intention to allow the French to enter the place had
been spoken, for it was known that the French had emissaries in the
place, who would in some way contrive to inform them of what was going
on there, and the success of the plan would have been imperilled had the
intentions of the defenders been made known to the French. The latter
fought with their usual determination and valour, but were unable to
withstand the fury with which they were attacked from all sides, and
step by step were driven back to the breach. Thus, after twenty-four
hours of fighting, the position of the parties remained unaltered.

Bonaparte, in person, had taken part in the assault, and when the troops
entered the town had taken up his place at the top of the tower. Kleber,
who commanded the assault, had fought with his accustomed bravery at the
head of his troops, and for a time, animated by his voice and example,
his soldiers had resisted the fiercest efforts of the Turks. But even
his efforts could not for long maintain the unequal conflict. As the
troops fell back along the walls towards the breach, the guns from
elevated positions mowed them down, many of the shot striking the group
round Bonaparte himself. He remained still and immovable, until almost
dragged away, seeming to be petrified by this terrible disaster, when he
deemed that, after all his sacrifices and losses, success was at last
within his grasp.

During the siege he had lost five thousand men. The hospitals were
crowded with sick. The tribesmen had ceased to send in provisions. Even
should he succeed in taking the town after another assault, his force
would be so far reduced as to be incapable of further action. Its
strength had already fallen from sixteen thousand to eight thousand men.
Ten of his generals had been killed. Of his eight aides-de-camp, four
had been killed and two severely wounded.

The next evening the Turkish regiment that had made a sortie on the
night of their landing, but had been unable to face the tremendous fire
poured upon them, begged that they might be allowed to go out again in
order to retrieve themselves.

Permission was given, and their colonel was told to make himself master
of the nearest line of the e